Osteoporosis is not just a “female disease” but affects millions of men too.
Thanks to numerous public awareness campaigns, most people now understand that women are at risk for osteoporosis, or decreasing bone density, as they pass the change of life known as menopause. This has led to a perception that osteoporosis is a “female disease.” However, the reality is that osteoporosis is a danger for men as well as for women. The main difference is that while osteoporosis begins to affect women in their 50s, men will typically not be affected until age 65 or 70.
Risk Factors for Osteoporosis
Age is a significant risk factor for osteoporosis, and in fact in most cases the primary cause of the condition is age-related hormonal decline. Because testosterone and estrogen are both vital for building healthy bones in men, low levels of either hormone can be a problem. High cortisol can also adversely affect bone density by leaching vital nutrients like Vitamin D and calcium from the body.
Other possible risk factors that researchers have linked to osteoporosis in men include:
- Chronic diseases affecting the kidneys, lungs, stomach, and intestines
- Regular use of certain medications including glucocorticoids
- Unhealthy habits like smoking, excessive drinking, low calcium intake, or physical inactivity
Preventing Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is often called a “silent disease” because many men don’t even realize they have it until a fall or other accident reveals just how fragile their bones have become. Rather than get to this point, it would be better to take steps to preserve bone health now. This can be done in several ways.
Hormone Therapy: Bringing your hormones into balance can have a significant impact on your bone health. Specifically, testosterone needs to be brought up to healthy levels through bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Estrogen also needs to be controlled. Usually this involves using estrogen blockers to ensure that while you have enough estrogen to support bone healthy, this hormone does not climb to dangerous levels.
Exercise: Maintaining a healthy exercise regimen which pits bones and muscles against gravity can also help prevent loss of bone density. If bone loss has already begun, you will need to consult a doctor before starting any exercise program to ensure that your activities will not result in injury to your already weakened bones.
Supplements: Taking Vitamin D and calcium supplements is an excellent way to help ensure your body gets the vital nutrients needed to preserve strong bones.
Stress Reduction & Lifestyle Changes: Anything you can do to reduce stress will also help prevent osteoporosis. This is true because stress promotes elevated cortisol levels, which in turn can affect bone health. You may also want to implement lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking or drinking that will eliminate secondary osteoporosis risk factors from your experience.
Get Help from Renew Man™
If you are concerned about hormonal decline causing osteoporosis or other andropause symptoms, contact Renew Man™ today.